8TH OF MARCH. VIOLENCE: THE STORY OF A BANNER

For 8th of March we have decided to raise several problems, which women in Ukraine are faced with everyday. Among those: poverty and precarious working conditions, domestic violence, church leaders lobbying the Istanbul Convention rejection, as well as a problem turned daily experience – radical right-wing violence against femminist and LGBT+ activists.

Basically, every event on such topic faces threats, attacks – be it a lecture or a workshop. That is no secret and old news.

These problems were depicted on our banner.

An emblem of national corps was chosen as a symbol of right-wing violence (thanks for the idea to the activists from Mariupol).
Of course, the right-wing radicals were offended by our critique, however they could not come up with anything better than accuse us of utilizing national symbols and attack us.
First time we were attacked at the beginning of the March. Police behaved as usual, which is ignoring their threats and intervening only when physical violence took place.
We proceeded carrying the banner and later on it was put up once again, while asking police to stay close to us. As a response to our request we were told: “Like hell, I will protect you.”
It seems the story could have been over, but next to the Kyiv City Hall something epic happened.

A person in police uniform, WITHOUT PRESENTING HIMSELF, WITHOUT CLARIFYING THE NATURE OF THE OFFENSE (short video in the post) has attacked Dana, pushed her, while another person in uniform took away the banner and ran away.
Our efforts to contact policemen on this matter failed completely. And frankly, at this moment we had to think of the ways to leave safely.

***

This is the text orom the Facebook page of the actvist Aliona Liasheva. You may read the original here.

and thanks to Daryna Smyrnova in English about far right violence during the Women's March in Kyiv